WashWire Daily Brief: State of the Union Challenge

When President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address tonight, he’ll face a tough crowd—or so says the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released today, which found Americans increasingly concerned about the president’s abilities, dissatisfied with the economy, and fearful for the country’s future.

Here’s a startling statistic: Since the 1930s, only George W. Bush has begun his sixth year in the White House on rockier ground than Mr. Obama, report Neil King Jr. and Patrick O’Connor (http://on.wsj.com/1fsaE8Q) in today’s Journal.

The survey found that little has changed in Mr. Obama’s approval ratings since the early summer, indicating that Americans have settled into a mood of dissatisfaction with the president. Nearly six in 10 say they are uncertain, worried or pessimistic about what he will do with the remainder of his term.

Still, analysts say Mr. Obama could have a shot at turning those numbers around if he can find an issue that strikes enough of a chord for “people to take a second look,” one pollster said. And that’s exactly what the White House will aim to do in tonight’s speech (http://on.wsj.com/1n3I7f3), where Mr. Obama will address ways to reduce the gap between rich and poor and to create more opportunities for lower- and middle-class Americans. (See a list of what Mr. Obama won’t be announcing: http://on.wsj.com/1frA0Uj)

And don’t forget to tune in to our live blog (http://on.wsj.com/1cw5cOT) tonight at 8:45 p.m. for up-to-the-minute coverage of the address.

–Rebecca Ballhaus

JERRY SEIB DISCUSSES OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION CHALLENGE

The new WSJ/NBC poll has the public lukewarm on President Obama but more supportive of his agenda. Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Seib explains that Tuesday’s State of the Union will give the president the opportunity to sell his plan and a chance to persuade the public he can see it through.VIDEO:http://on.wsj.com/1nc2czT

BONUS EARLY HIT: There’s plenty of talk right now about how Google Inc. and other tech companies are reaching out to Republicans, hoping to cover their right flank as Congress and regulators consider a host of issues related to their business. A sign of how seriously their taking it: The Internet Association, a new-ish Silicon Valley lobbying group that counts Google, Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. as members, held an event for more than 50 Republican campaign consultants earlier this month at the Standard Hotel in New York. Thomas Catan and Brody Mullins report. http://on.wsj.com/1buQckT

WSJ STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS

MINIMUM WAGE: President Obama plans to act unilaterally to raise the minimum wage for employees working on new federal contracts, an aggressive move designed to show Congress his plans to assert his executive power are not just talk. The order would raise the minimum wage for those workers to $10.10, up from $7.25. In his address tonight, he will push legislators to enact a more widespread increase this year. Carol E. Lee and Eric Morath report. http://on.wsj.com/1coXPNK

TECH SURVEILLANCE: In an attempt to soothe public distrust, the Obama administration has agreed to let tech companies disclose more details about how often the government monitors Internet use. What does that mean for your Google habits? Not too much—the new pact lets Facebook, Microsoft, Google and other firms release more information in broad ranges about government demands, but it doesn’t give them any leeway to block them. Devlin Barrett and Danny Yadron report. http://on.wsj.com/1cmR3Iq

MIDDLE EAST: Iran and global powers will start talks on a deal to end the longstanding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program in mid-February in New York, Jay Solomon and Laurence Norman report (http://on.wsj.com/1clmEuf). But officials say the worst is yet to come, as both sides will seek a final deal eradicating sanctions on Iran in return for a significant scaling back of nuclear activities. Elsewhere, a key congressional hurdle has been removed that will allow the U.S. to transfer attack helicopters to Iraq to help the government fight Islamic extremists. Adam Entous reports. http://on.wsj.com/1n8YR4H

COURT RULES: Airlines have broad authority to report potential security threats, the Supreme Court ruled, dismissing a pilot’s lawsuit against his employer for allegedly defaming him by warning the TSA that he could be armed and mentally unstable (http://on.wsj.com/1clNJNT). The court also ruled that unionized employees aren’t entitled to pay for the time they spend putting on safety gear before starting their shifts, though Justice Antonin Scalia warned that the verdict leaves room for distinguishing between clothes and “wearable items,” like safety equipment. Jess Bravin reports. http://on.wsj.com/1n982lB

–Compiled by Rebecca Ballhaus

WHAT WE’RE READING

Amy Liu suspects President Obama may sidestep politically sensitive free-trade issues in his State of the Union address and she urges him not to: “Rather than succumb to the critiques of globalization, the president must affirm that bottom-up exports growth is the right direction for the country and can be a platform for job growth and opportunity for workers.” [Brookings]

John Aloysius Farrell, who offers examples of successful and responses to State of the Union addresses and belly flops over the years, says Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, tapped to make a GOP response this year, won’t be helped by her party’s “dilutive, muddling insistence on offering two responses to Obama.” [Politico]

Anger in Europe over AT&T’s association with the NSA scandal may have caused the company to back away from buying Vodafone, but John McDuling says that could be a “blessing in disguise.” Vodafone shares are at their highest levels in 13 years, which would make a purchase expensive, and a deal probably would require AT&T to make expensive concessions to boot. [Quartz]

Robert Reich wonders why the middle class isn’t making a bigger “ruckus” over income inequality in America, and offers three reasons: Workers are afraid of losing the jobs and wages they do have; students are so burdened with their own debts they dare not rock the boat; and nobody really trusts the political system to make changes anyway. [Salon]

Gov. Chris Christie‘s most promising path in seeking the GOP presidential nomination — his chances are good despite recent troubles — is to run as someone from outside the boardroom who will tackle, in conservative ways, issues concerning Americans in all income groups, writes Ramesh Ponnuru. [Bloomberg View]

MINOR MILESTONE

Honda exported 108,705 vehicles from the United States to 50 countries last year, and imported 88,537 from Japan to the U.S. last year. on.wsj.com/1fsaMp1

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